Truck for suspended monorail systems



July 2l, 1925.

L.. A. FRYE TRUCK FOR SUSPENDED MONORAIL SYSTEMS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed June 25. 1919 July 2l, 1925.

L. A. FRYE TRUCK FOR SUSPENDED MONORAIL SYSTEMS s-Sheet 2 Ori if Filed J July 2l, 1925.

L. A. FRYE TRUCK FOR SUSPENDED MONORAIL SYSTEMS Original Filed June 25, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 r9, F f mm wm M L, i d.

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Patented July 21, 1925.

. UNITED STATESy PATENTYOFFI'CE,

'LEIS A. EBYE, OF' LUS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TRUCK FOR SUSPENDED MONOBAIL SYSTEMS.

Application filed June-25, 1919, Serial No. 306,519. Renewed December 2.0, 1923.

To al whom fit may concern lle it known that l, Lewis A.. Fern, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Ciiigeles, in the county oi Los Angeles, State of California have invented new and useful `lmprovements in Trucks for Suspended Monorail Systems, ot which the following is a speoiitication.

rlfhe present invention relates to trucks for suspended. inonorail systems and it is a primary object oit the invention to provi'dea strong, simple and flexible truck.

By the present invention a truck is provided for cars used on suspended mono-rail systems which will distribute the weight ot the `car over a length ,ot rail approximately equal to the length ot the car. lt will be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to such syste is, being applicable toany monos-ail system; but it is particularly etlicient in such a system where the weight is widely distributed and where the truck may be correspondingly long. rlhis distriliution of the weight to be carried by the rail makes it possible to make the rail much lighter than would be necessary it the weight oit the car was concentrated in one or two places. The weight of the carbeinv distrilnit-ed over the rail and the rail 2being made con'iparatively light allows the supports for said rail to be made light also. The rail and the supports being lighter than the rails and supports connnonly used in suspended mono-rail systems inaltes the cost of track construction comparatively cheap.

it particular 'feature ot' the truck is its flexibility. which allows it to make short curves although its wheel base may be very long. The truck constructed so that the weight of the car is carried by several wheels which are spaced considerable distances apart while at the sainetime it is made ilexi-1 ble so as to allow the wheels to stay in or on the `rail when going around a sharp curve.

lli n the truck is on curve the wheels not only follow the railbut may tilt slightly so :is to keepin proper contact with the rail. Theft-act that the wheels may tilt 'from side to sidei also allows the trucl: to balance or center itself when running on a straight trarlv A further featurel of the invention is nootliiessv ,i which the truck runs on tlietracli. The wheel base oi the trncli being long and thetlexibility of the truclr which allows the wheels to properly engage the tracts. canse the trucl to run over bumps or uneven places in the track without J arring. l

Further features of the invention as well as the structural details of the invention will be clearly understood 'from the itollowing detailed description of a. specific preferred form 'of the invention in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- K Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing a car carried by two trucks; F ig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a truck; Fig. 3 is a p-lan of the truck shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the truck showing it in connection with the rail; Fig. 5 is a detail section taken as indicated'by line 5-5 on Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed view showing the brake mechanism; Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail section taken as indicated by line 77 on Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an enlarged section taken as indicated by line 8 8 on Fig. 5; Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross section taken on line 9-9 ot Figs. 2 and 3; Fig. 1() is an enlarged detail section taken on line 10-10 ot Fig. 3; Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 11-11 or" Fig.V 7 and Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken as indicated by line 12-12 on Fig. 11. i

In the drawings numeral 10 designates a car which is carried two trucks 11. .Each truck 11 comprises a driving wheel 12 and two pilot wheels 13 all of which run in a rail 14. The rail 14 has a concave tread which forms a groove or channel7 as shown iny Figs.

up beam 15, which may be supported in any suitable manner.` As shown in Fig, 1, the wheels lQand 13 are carried in truck frames 11 so that the wheels are equally spaced. This construction distributes the load of the car over siX evenly spaced points rather than concentrating it at the ends of the car. By thus distributing the weight of the car the beam 15 may. be made much. lighter than it could if the weight were concentrated at the ends of the car. Each truck has a main trame 16 which carries the drive wheel 12, the motors 24': and the brakes 25. The main frame comprises an upper frame and a lower trame. The upper `traine has sides 26 and ends 27. The sides 26 are curved out so as to malte. the traine wider. at the center than at the ends. The lower frame comprises two side members 28 which extend between the lower corners of transverse plates 2.9. The side members 28 are parallel with each other 'il'. 5 and 9. The rail 14 is mounted on a built IJI and are shaped so as to have a high portion midway between the plates 29, which is level with the upper frame. Attached to the bottom of sides 28 are brace bars 30 which extend across the open space formed by side members 2S, beingr shaped as just described.

Extending between the raised portions of the side members 2S and the braces 30 are frames 31 in which are carried bearing blocks 32. Bearing blocks 32 have side plates 33 which keep them in position in frame 31. The shaft 34 on which driving wheel 12 is mounted is carried in the. bearing' blocks The load to be carried by the wheel 12 is transmitted to the blocks 32 through springs which extend between the blocks 32 and the frame 28.

The shaft 34 extends through blocks 32 and mounted on the ends of the shaft are sprockets 36 which are driven by means of chains 37 from sprockets 38 mount-ed on motor shafts 39. There is preferably a motor 24 mounted on each end of the lower frame, equally distant from the central driving' wheel; so that the truck structure is balanced in arrangement. The motors 24 are so arranged that one motor drives the sprocket 3G mounted on one end of shaft 34 while the other motor drives the sprocket mounted on the other end of shaft 34.

The transverse pla-tes 29 are perpendicular and connect the ends of the lower frame with the upper frame. The upper frame is longer than the lower frame and extends a little beyond the plates 29. There is a hole 40 in each plate 29 through which a stud 41 extends. The studs 41 carry yokes 42 which are thus rotatable about the horizont-al axis of the stud. The pins 41 extend through plates 29 and are preifented from pullingl out of holes 40 by nuts 50. Vertical pivot pins 51 in yokes 42 carry frames 43. which carry the pilot wheels 13. These frames thus have a tilting motion of adjustment abo-ut the axis of studs 41, and also a swinging` motion in a plane normally horizontal but tilted from horizontal when the trame tilts around the axis of stud 41. The frames 43 extend outward from the yokes 42 and are shaped so that their ends are lower than the yoke 42. as shown in Fie'. 2. hounted on the ends of frames 43 are frames 44 in which are carried bearingT blocks 45. The bearing blocks 45 carry the axles 46 of pilot wheels 13. The construction and mountingof pilot wheels is substantially the same as that of drive wheels 12. Retween bearing blocks 45 and the top of the frames 44 there are springs 46 which transmit the load from the frame to the bearing blocks. Extending;` from the tops. of frames 44 to the frames 43 near the vokes 42 are brace rods 47. The frames 43 comprise blocks 48 which are pivotally connected to the yokes and members 49 which are U-shaped. as shown in 3. rThe blocks 48 are pivotally connected to the yokes 42 by means of pins 51 which extend through the yokes and the blocks. The pins 51 are prevented from pulling out of the yokes and the blocks by means of nuts 53.

Between the yokes 42 and the plates 29 there are ball bearings GO which separate the two members and prevent them from binding; and between block 43 and the upper and lower sides of yoke 42 there are ball bearings 60'Ll and 60". The bearing' at (30" may be somewhat advanced forwardly of the pin 51 to well take the upward thrust of the frame 43.

Keyed on studs 41 between the plates 29 and the nuts 50 are rocker arms 61 to the ends of which are pivotally connected connecting rods 62. The connecting: rods (i2 have mounted on their ends plungers (53 which are carried in cylinders 64. Vithin the cylinder 64 between the plungers 63 and the cylinder heads G5 are compression springs G6. The cylinders 64 are pivotally mounted on plates 29 by means of pins G7. lVhen for any reason the pilot wheels have a tendency to tilt, for instance, when the truck is on curve, the pivotal mountingr of the yokes will allow the wheels to tilt. Vhen the pilot wheels 13 tilt, one of the compresl sion springs 66 will be compressed and tend to return the wheel to its normal position. The springs G6 act as an equalizer and tend at all times to keep the wheels in their normal position. The frames 43 being pivotally connected to the main frame 16 allows the pilot wheels to follow a curve in the track and the pivot-al mounting' of the yoke on the plates 29 allows the wheels to tilt sulliciently to properly center themselves in the` rails. This will be fully explained.

Before proceeding to a detailed explanation of the mode of operation of my improved form of truck. l will first on to draw attention to certain details of construcl tion and arrangement which may be used in my truck. Ot course itl will be understood that the truck may be provided with suitable brakes and all other such appurtenances as are usually put upon railway trucks. instance, l have shown a brake shoe at T0 keyed to a block 70 which is mounted upon the lower end of a piston rod 71. this piston rod beineY pushed downwardly bv air pressure in a cylinder 72 above a piston 73. a springT 74 normally raisingT the brake shoe off the track. The ordinary and usual triple valve control may be used for this brake operation.

For suspending` the car from the truck which I have described l utilize, for each truck. a suspension bracket whose upper end extends over a spider 17 and has a spherical bearing' at 81 upon the center of the supporting' spider. This spider 17 will be seen For l irornthe drawings `to be a tour-point construction having connection with the main frame at tour points and carrying` the bracket at its center. 'A heavy stud 18 extends from bracket 80 through a slot 17h in frame y17 to keep the bracket in position on the'spider. The slot 17h is parallel with the truck and allows Y the truck and the bracket tomove relative to each other when the truck passes over uneven places in the track. The connection between the bracket 80 and the trame 17 may be made rigid in which case vthe springs 33' and 46 will prevent uneven running of the wheels from causing jarring of theca-r. Bracket 8O has a lower part which extends under the rail beam 15; and the "car 10 is. carried by this part 85 in any suitable manner. It will o course be understood that the car will be so framed that its whole weight may be'cai'ried from the points where the brackets 8O attach.

I have said that one oi" the main objects of my invention is the provision ot a truck for a moiio-rail system which will give even or substantially even distributienet the weight overa plurality ot wheels, and at the same timewill Vhave a sutlicient flexibility to take relatively sharp curves and keep that even distribution while taking curves. There are, as has been hereinliietore set forth, many other features of my invention, but these'I believe vto be apparent troni the. foregoing' specification. liccoii'dingly I will now explain more particularly that 'teature oi" my invention which has to do with `the Hexible action of Ythe truck `in taking,-

curves.` Y

Y It will bercadily seen without the necessity ot detailed description how the trames of the two pilot wheels will swing in a horizontal plane, and how the main trames of the two trucks will also swing in a horizontal plane, with reference to the car and the supporting` brackets 80, when the trucks round a curve. lf it could always be insured that the car, in rounding a curve, wouldalways hang' directly in the plane ot' the rail, all three wheels of each truck would then ot course keep in perfect Contact with the rail at all times. On the curvethe rails will et course be tilted up to contorni to the normal or average angle to which the suspended car will swing in rounding, the curve; but the car will not always take the angle 'for which the rail is set. ly, either because the car swings too far or too little from its vertical position, and because, while travelling around the curve; the" three wheels ot' each truck ai'e out of aligni ment there will always be either a tendency `to raise the two pilot wheels ott7 the track or to raise the: center drivingwheel oi the track. Now it rwill be readily understood that a tilting oit the pilot wheel tramesand.

Consequenb 'the following claims.

of the 'pilot wheels aboutthe horizontal' ot studs al., tiltingthe pilot wheels from their normal truly vertical position, will ot' course raise the ylower peripheries of the pilot wheels. Any action ot the truck which tends to put an excess weight or pressure upon the pilot wheels (that is, any action of the truck which tends to raise the main center wheel and tendsto lower the pilot wheels) will tend to cause a tilting displacementot' the pilot wheel from its normal vertical position; while any action which tends to raise the pilot wheels will oit course allow the pilot wheels to come back toward or to their normal central vertical positions', thereby lowering their lower peripheries and keeping); them in vcontact with the rail surface. Thus, although the pilot wheels may swing in a horizontal plane, their-lower peripheries will be kept i in contact with the rail at allxtiines, vregardless ot the angle which tliecar may assume in rounding,l al curve. @it course tl ese statements are true within certain` limits ot action; butthose limits ot aetion iiiay be large enough to include `any ordinary swinging otthe car. Thel action ot spriro's in cylinder 64 tends to right the pilot wheels at all times; and this tendency is strong enough, and increases with tilting displacement ot the pilot wheel, so that there can be at no time any tendencyto turn the pilot wheel so far as to throw it entirely out ot proper tread engagement with the track.

As has been hereinabove described the 'wheels are mounted in the trucks so as to be equally spaced.

It will be understood that the trucks may be so arranged as to cause the adpicent wheels ot the two trucks to be the saine distance apart as the wheels ot each truck, or they inay be set closer together or taither apart to suit conditions. The space between adjacentwheels ot the two cars may also be made to vary to suit conditions. It will be readily understood thataltliough the trucks may be set so as to cause the spacing ot' the wheels tobe not exactly even thel distribution ot the weight oi" the car will be approximately even. T ie reason `tor this is the longwheelbase ot each truck which causes the load carried by each truck to be distributed over a considerable length of rail.l

From the foregoingr description ot a pre erred and specilic torin' ot my improved truck, itis thought that-iny invention will Y be readily understood.` I have proceeded in seine ,detail `to give the particulars ot my preferred torni ot truck, not for the purpose of limiting' my invention, but for the pur4 pose of giving a clear idea of it. I believe my invention to be broad in its scope and not limited except as specifically stated in Having described a preferred form ot my invention, I claim:

l. A truck embodying two parts, one a main frame with wheel support the other a pilot frame with wheel support, a connecting member, means connecting the connecting member and one of said parts so that they can swing relative to each other about an axis substantially longitudinal ot .the truck, and means connecting the connecting member and the other part so that they can swing relative to each other only about a Vsubstantially vertical axis.

2. A truck embodying a central truck frame with wheel support, and a pilot trame at each end of the central trame, each pilot frame having a wheel support and being pivoted to the central frame to swing relative thereto about a longitudinal axis and also about a normally vertical axis, the pilot frames being connected to the central frame so that load thrust is transmitted directly from the central frame to the pilot trames.

3. A truck embodying, a main trame with wheel support, a pilot trame with wheel support, and means pivotally connecting the frames and transmitting load thrust trom the main frame to the pilot frame, said means embodying a connecting member connected to the main frame to be movable relative thereto about an axis longitudinal of the truck and connected to the pilot frame to be movable relative thereto only about a normally vertical axis.

4. A truck, embodying a main truck frame with wheel support, and a pilot frame at one end of the main trame and pivoted to the main frame to swing thereon about a longitudinal axis and also about a normally vertical axis, and resilient means to keep the pilot trame and its wheel in a normal upright position.

5. A truck, embodying a `central truck frame with wheel support, and a pilot frame at each end of the central frame, each pilotl frame having a wheel support and being pivoted to the main trame to swing thereon about a longitudinal axis and also about a normally vertical axis, said longitudinal axis being substantially above the rail treads ot the pilot wheels, and resilient means to keep each pilot frame and its wheel in a normal upright position.

6. A truck, embodying a main truck trame with wheel support, a pilot truck frame with a pilot wheel, said pilot trame being pivoted at its end to the main frame and the track tread of the pilot wheel being removed from the pivotal center; resilient means for keeping the pilot trame in normal position aligned with the main frame.

7. A truck, embodying a main truck trame with wheel support, a pilot truck frame with a pilot wheel, said pilot frame being pivoted at its end to the main frame on a horizontal axis and on a normally vertical axis so that the pilot trame and wheel may tilt about the longitudinal axis and swing about the vertical axis, the pilot wheel being longitudinally removed from the vertical axis and the longitudinal axis being substantially above the track tread ot the pilot wheel; resilient means opposing the tilting movement of the pilot trame and keeping the pilot wheel normally upright.

S. A truck, embodying a main truck trame with wheel support, a pilot truck trame with a pilot wheel, said pilot trame being pivoted at its end to the main trame, and the track tread ot the pilot wheel being removed from the pivotal center; resilient means tor keeping the pilot frame in normal position aligned with the main frame, said pivoting embodying a horizontal longitudinal pivot on the main iframe, a member mounted th-ereon to tilt about the horizontal longitudinal axis, and a normally vertical pivot carried by said member and on which the pilot frame is carried; so that the pilot frame and its wheel have tilting movement about thelongitudinal axis and also have swinging movement in a plane normal to the vertical axis, but which plane tilts as the pilot frame tilts about the longitudinal axis.

9. A truck for mono-rail-system, embodying a main truck trame with wheel support, a pilot truck iframe with a pilot wheel, said pilot trame being pivoted at its end to the main trame, said pivoting embodying a horizontal longitudinal pivot on the main frame, a member mounted thereon to tilt about the horizontal longitudinal axis, and a normally vertical pivot carried by said member and on which the pilot frame is carried; so that the pilot frame and its wheel have tilting movement about the longitudinal axis and also have swinging movement in a plane normal to the vertical axis, but which planel tilts as the pilot trame tilts about the longitudinal axis; and resilient means opposing the tilting ot the pilot frame about the longitudinal pivot and tending to keep it and its pilot wheel normally upright.

l0. A truck for mono-rail systems, embodying a main truck trame with wheel support, a pilot truck frame with a pilot wheel, said pilot trame being pivoted at its end to the main frame, and the track tread ot the pilot wheel being removed from the pivotal center; resilient means tor keeping the pilot frame in normal position aligned with the main frame, said pivoting embodying a horizontal longitudinal pivot on the main trame, a member mounted thereon to tilt about the horizontal longitudinal axis, and a normally vertical pivot carried by said member and on which the pilot trame is carried; so that the pilot frame and its llO Viasaaeezs i said pilot-trame being pivoted at its end to the main Jframe, and the track tread of the pilot wheel being removed from the pivotal center; resilient means for keeping the pilot trame in normal position aligned with the main trame, said pivoting` embodying `a horizontal longitudinal `pivot on the main trame, a member' mounted thereon to tilt about the horizontal longitudinal axis, and a normally vertical pivot carried by said member and on which `the pilot trame is carried; so that the pilot trame and its wheel have tiltingl movement about the longitudinal axis and also have swinging movement 1n a plane normal to the vertical axis,

i but which plane tilts as the pilot frame tilts about the longitudinal axis; and resilient means opposing the tilting ot the pilot trame about the longitudinal pivot and tending to keep it and its pilot wheel normally upright.

i12. A truck, embodying a` central truck t'ame with a wheel adapted to travel upon a rail, driving means for the wheel carried by the central truck'frame, a pair Vof pilot truck trames one at each end of the central 'ti-ame, each pilot frame being pivoted at its end to an end ot the central trame on a longitudinal horizontal pivot and on a normally vertical pivot, each pilot tramehavingapilot wheel at its "tree end removed longitudinally from the vertical pivot, and the longitudinal pivot being` substantially above the track tread of the pilot wheel; and resilient means opposing movement of each pilot iframe about its longitudinal pivot and tending to keep the pilot trames and wheels in alignment with each other and with the central frame and its wheel.

13. A truck for mono-rail systems, embodying a central truck trame with a wheel adapted to travel upon a rail, driving means for the wheel carried by the central truck frame, a pair ofpilot truck frames one at each end of the central frame, each pilot frame being pivoted to the central 'trame to tilt on a longitudinal horizontal axis and to swing' about a normally vertical axis, said pivoting embodying a longitudinal horizon-- tal pivot on the central trame` amembercarried thereby to tilt thereon, and a normally vertical transverse pivot carried by said mem ber and carrying the pilot trame; so that the pilot frame inaytilt aboutfthelongitudinal pivot and also swing in a plane normal to the transverse pivot, which plane is normally horizontal but tilts trom that position as the pilot frame tilts about the longitudinal axis; each pilot trame having a pilot wheel at its tree end removed longitudinally from the vertical pivot, and the longitudinal pivot being substantially above the track tread of the pilot wheel and resilient moans opposing movement ot each pilot frame about its longitudinal pivot andy tendn ing* to keep the pilot frames and wheels in alignment with each other and with the central trame and its wheel.

14;. A truck embodying, a main ,frame with wheel support, a pilot frame with wheel support, and a single means connecting the 'trainee and transmitting load thrust trom the main frame to the pilot trame, `said means embodying a connecting member, a pivotal connection between the main frame and said member allowing them relative movement about an axis longitudinal of the truck, and a pivotal connection between said member and the pilot frame allowing them` pivotal movement only about a normally vertical axis.

1V. A truck tor mono-rail systems! embodying a main truck trame with single wheel .support`v and a pilot frame with sin# glewheel supporteconnected one end to the `main trame so that the wheels are normally in a single longitudinal line and to be transversely movable relative to the main 'frame the connection between Athe main and the pilot trame normally keeping the trames in vertical alinement. i

16. A truck Jfor mono-rail systems embodying a main truck trame with single wheel support, a pilot frame with single wheel support at one end of the main traine and connected to the main trame to swing about a vertical axis and to keep the wheel thereo't in vertical alinement, the trames normally carrying the wheels in a single longitudinal line.

17. A truck embodying a main truck trame with Wheel support, a pilot frame, connecting means between the frames allowing them relative transverse movement, and yielding means at the connection between the "frames allowing the frames relative twisting movement.

` 18. A truck embodying amain truck frame with wheel support` a pilot frame, connecting means between the trames allowing them relative transverse swinging movement, and yielding means at the connection between the Jframes allowing the frames relative twisting movement.

19. A truck embodying a main truck trame with Wheel support, a pilot trame at one end ot the main frame, and means connecting the main 'frame and the pilot trame to allovvlill) llt) lit)

relative twisting movement between the main trame and the pilotv iframe and embodying means to yieldingly oppose such movement.

20. A truck embodyinga main truck frame with wheel support, a pilot iframe at each end of the main frame, means connecting the pilot iframes to the main frame to allow them relative twisting movement and embodying resilient means to oppose such movement.

2l. Atruck embodying amain truck trame with wheel support, a pilot trame with wheel support at one end of the main trame, and means connecting the main iframe and the pilot frame to transmit load thrust from the main trame to the pilot frame, to allow relative twisting movement between the main trame and the pilot iirame, and to resiliently resist such twisting movement.

22. A truck embodying a main truck frame with wheel support, a. pilot trame with wheel support at one end of the main frame, and means connecting the main trame and the pilot frame to transmit load thrust from the main irame to the pilot frame, to allow relative transverse movement between the main frame and the pilot frame, to allow relative twisting movement between the main frame and the pilot iframe, and to resiliently resist such twisting` movement.

Q3. A truck embodyinga main frame with a wheel support, and a pilot frame with wheel support connected to the main frame to be movable relative thereto only about a vertical axis and a horizontal axis disposed longitudinally of the truck.

24. A truck embodying a main trame, a pilot frame, and means connecting the main irame and the pilot frame to transmit load thrust between the frames and to allow relative movement between the trames only about a vertical axis and about a horizontal axis disposed longitudinally of the truck.

25. A truck embodying a main frame with wheel support, a pilot trame with wheel support and connected to the main trame to swing relative thereto about an axis longitudinal of the truck and about a normally vertical axis, and means yieldingly resisting` the first mentioned movement, said means embodying` an arm movable with one of the irames, and a spring` arranged between the arm and a part of the other frame.

26. A truck embodying a main trame with wheel support, a pilot iirame with wheel support and connected to the main iframe to swing relative thereto about an axis longitudinal oi the truck and about a normally vertieal axis, and means yieldingly resisting` the rst mentioned movement, said means embodying' an arm movable with one oi2 the frames and arranged transversely ot said normally vertical axis and with its end parts at opposite sides of said normally vertical axis, and springs arranged between the end parts ot the arm and parts carried by the other frame.

In witness that I claim the foregoing have hereunto subscribed my name this 10th day oi June 1919.

LEVS A. FRYE.

Vitness VIRGINIA l. BERINGER. 

